FBI Takes Part in Another San Bernardino Gang Raid

SAN BERNARDINO – Law enforcement authorities, including the FBI and two local agencies, hit back at an alleged street gang on Wednesday, arresting four men, recovering weapons and drugs. Early morning raids targeted six residences that reportedly contained members of the “Sur Crazy Ones” (SUR), a gang that is centered in San Bernardino.

According to a press release from Lt. Rich Lawhead of the San Bernardino Police Dept., Ithzel Lopez, 29, Richard Ortega, 23, Javier Palomino, 30, and Jaime Castrellon, 24, were arrested and booked on multiple charges. Lawhead said in a release that San Bernardino police, “continues to take aggressive action to curtail criminal street gang activity within their jurisdictional boundaries.” The synchronized raids, which included San Bernardino Police, San Bernardino Sheriff’s and the FBI were able to confiscate three firearms, including a submachine gun, .40 caliber rifle and a 9mm pistol. Also confiscated was a pound of marijuana.

One week earlier, another raid netted the arrests of over a dozen alleged gang members. Authorities confiscated several handguns, drugs and thousands of dollars in connection with alleged drug trafficking, reportedly across state lines. A 39-page federal indictment led to that raid, targeting a specific gang known as the Gilbert Street Bloods, centered in San Bernardino. FBI sources said that arrests were also made in Arizona and Indiana. Gang members were charged in federal indictments for interstate drug trafficking.

FBI, along with the Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms unit, Drug Enforcement Agency, County Sheriff’s units and San Bernardino Police all took part in those raids, netting 2.5 pounds of methamphetamine, nearly a pound of cocaine, $12,000 and 11 handguns.

In the indictment, investigators outlined inquiries into gang activities that included transcribing telephone calls, text messages between gang members, each related to alleged drug trafficking. Gas stations, fast food restaurants, convenience stores, parking lots and private residences in Fontana, Hesperia and San Bernardino were sites at which transactions reportedly took place, said authorities.

Lopez, Ortega, Palomino and Jaime Castrellon are being held at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.

Obrey "Lee" Brown has worked for 10 newspapers and magazines in the Bay Area, central and southern California. In 2005, he wrote "A Citrus Test: Football in Black & White." He can be reached at baseballOLB@hotmail.com.